I just want healthy food ideas that are not going to break the bank!

[mommmmyof2]

Ok so been on internet all morning now and I am getting a little fed up, I just want to start cooking a bit more and I am thinking along the lines of casseroles and spaghetti bolognese but every recipe is so complex!

You need about a hundred ingredients and I just don't have money to buy fresh herbs that I have no idea how to cook to be honest.

Anybody have any ideas?

As a kind of compromise between fresh and dried herbs, I like those tubes of ready chopped herbs you can buy. They last longer than fresh herbs but they are more fresh tasting than dried. And there's no waste - I used to buy a bunch of coriander etc, use a bit, and then the rest would go off before I could use it. The tubes don't.

Try a cookbook aimed at students for simple, economical stuff.

Thank you for the links Mumsie I will have a look now as I seem to be gettin the same boring stuff over and over!

And where do you buy the tubes BorntoFolk? I have never heard of them.

Just from Tesco. They are in the section with the fresh herbs.

Oh ok I will have a look, not normally in Tesco but next time I am, I may even send dh

I, too, was bored of cooking the same old; someone on here suggested a website called www.resourcefulcook.co.uk.

Have a look around there- it gives week long meal planners or quick shops for only three days. The menu plans vary in price too. The recipies are fairly easy to follow.

The best bit though, it gives you a link to Tesco and Asda or Sainsburys and this allows you to either print out the shopping list or it takes you to the correct place on the web to place your order!

I love this website! If you have a basic food cupboard you can also set this option and build up the spice cupboard over the weeks.

We have tried about 10 of these planners- some my children have really enjoyed, and because there is a recipe to follow I have found they are keener to help! Win win all round.

Summer Money saving health idea - Make a load of easy, healthy cheap salads in bulk and keep them in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, then make some more. Put LOADS of salad selection on the plate plus your 'main'.
Voilá - cheaper, healthier food.

Salads
grated carrot (put in chopped almonds/seeds if you fancy - dress with lemon)
mixed green (lettuce,toms, cucumber, maybe an olive or 2 if you fancy - make a dressing (olive oil and vinegar) and add a bit of honey for the kids, bit of mustard maybe - experiment with what you like)
pea and bean (froz peas/froz soya beans - defrost overnight - dress with whatever, bung a bit of feta in if you fancy)

Main

• pitta pizzas (cheese and tom grilled on a pitta, add ham, olives, pineapple whatever)
• baked pots (cheese, beans, tuna mayo, whatever)
• poached egg and veggie sausages
• spag bol (but smaller portions bulked out with salad)
• omlettes and cheese, veg, bolognaise
• rice and bolognaise (or spice up bolognaise with bit of ginger and curry powder and call it a curry or add tin of kidney beans/pinch of cayenne/ginger and call it chilli con carne)
• pasta and sauce

I find this is a useful website for keeping costs down and has lots of baking things as well as family meals.

cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/index.html

I use it quite alot, even adding in a few extras in the shopping keeps it under budget.

I just got "The Thrifty Cookbook" which is amazing. About £4 from Alibris. Lots of excellent ideas for tasty meals on a budget!

Chilli con carni is great and easy too. Much the same as the spag bol recipie already posted only take out mushroom and mixed herbs and add red kidney beans and chilli powder/flakes instead. Serve with rice and if you've made it too hot add yoghurt/creme fraiche/sour cream. Yum.

Am glad you posted this OP. I too feel I have lost my urge to cook, and my dc diet is becoming too limited! We can't eat mince every day, so chili, shepherds' pie etc are only part of the answer! . I am going to look at some of those websites too, and make a proper plan.

Another easy one is peri peri chicken (a little spicy tho) just chop us your chicken, put flour and peri peri spice (from a Schwartz jar) into a bag. Throw the chicken in and shake. Put fry light spray in pan and cook till done. Mix with creme fraise (or yoghurt etc). Serve with salad and rice or homemade chips or in a baguette. My staple uni food that transfers well to grown up food!

I tend not to buy fresh herbs unless its for entertaining and fresh herbs are only added at the end of cooking - I always use dried and in our indoor market you can buy dried herbs in any amount so much cheaper than the supermarket (50% less).

You really dont need endless books - I like the net particularly

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4251/chicken-cacciatore
This recipe is fantastic and easy, I always cook with thighs as cheaper and better taste. Cant get easier than this one!

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chilli_con_carne_08985 Hairy bikers chilli con carne is fab.

www.deliaonline.com , www.jamieoliver.com/

The books I refer to are Hugh furley Whittingstall, Good housekeeping pasta, some professional, and the odd Jamie etc.

The cheaper cuts are in general the slow cook, tougher ones - pork shoulder, belly, lamb shoulder, neck, beef brainsing, brisket etc. Fish - just have to buy basic range. Pulses etc can bulk up meals and add thickness - extremely cheap better if dried too.

Find an asian store you'll be surprised how much cheaper ingredients are.

I would never entertain packet mixes - terrible stuff. Freeze as much as possible so cook one freeze one.

When I meal plan I write down beef, lamb, pork, chicken, fish, veg. Then I cross match with mash, rice, couscous, pasta, noodles. This sort of gives me inspiration and is a good diet.